Wrist watch bracelet

ABSTRACT

A wrist-watch strap made of a material which is at least semirigid, comprising a ring with a break of continuity, so-called open portion, said open portion which is limited by two edges having a width which corresponds to the average diameter of a wrist, and a closure-member having an end hinged about an edge of said open-portion and a free end, said free end being adapted to overlap a portion of said ring in the vicinity of the other edge of said open-portion.

United States Patent Lanvin Oct. 29, 1974 I WRIST WATCH BRACELET l,498,l26 6/1924 Smith 224/4 J ux [75] Inventor: Lucie Lanvin, Paris, France [73] Assignee: Jeanne Lanvin SA, Paris, France Primary Examiner Robert J. Spar [22] Filed: July 7, 1972 Assistant Examiner-Jer0ld M. Forsberg [21] Appl. No.: 269,883

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 53,899, July l0, 1970, Pat. No. [57] ABSTRACT A wrist-watch strap made of a material which is at [30] Foreign Application Priority Data least semi-rigid, comprising a ring with a break of con- July 10, 1969 France 69.23429 tinuity, weaned p Portion, Said p Portion which is limited by two edges having a width which [52] US. Cl 224/4 J, 224/4 D, 224/28 W corresponds to the average diameter of a Wrist, and a 51 Int. Cl. A44 5/00 closure-member having an end hinged about an edge 58 Field of Search 22414 J, 4 E, 4 D, 28'W, of said openrorflon and a free end, Said free end 224/4 K; 24/2 5 ws; 63/3 7 being adapted to overlap a portion of said ring in the vicinity of the other edge of said open-portion. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 393,239 11/1888 Johnstone 224/4 J UX I WRIST WATCH BRACELET This application is a Division of my co-pending application Ser. No. 53,899, filed July 10, 1970, now Pat. No. 3,700,148, granted Oct. 24, 1972.

The present invention relates to an improved wristwatch strap and, in particular, to a strap adapted to be used as a portable clock stand.

Numerous shapes have been given to wrist-watch straps with a view to turning them into ornamental articles; however, the creative power of manufacturers happens to be restricted by requirement regarding the conditions of use of watches, so that the wrist-watches of the prior art always turn out to consist in a timemeasuring instrument fastened to the users wrist by means of two holding members attached to the watch, on opposite side thereof, and joined together at the back of the wrist.

One object of the invention is to provide a device permitting to obtain a wrist-watch strap having an omamental appearance novel with respect to the straps of the prior art, while being at the same time more versatile and more easily handled.

According to one feature of the invention, the present wrist-watch strap consists in an article of rigid or semi-rigid material, in the shape of an open ring, the open portion of which has a width substantially mating the diameter of the user's wrist, and to an edge of which is hingedly mounted a closure-member adapted to overlap the other edge of said open portion.

According to a preferred embodiment, the portion of said ring which is overlapped by said closure-member is adapted to receive a watch protruding from said ring portion, the closure-member being provided with an opening, the shape and location of which being so selected as to encase the watch and to lock said closing member.

While the invention is not restricted to the use of a specific material for making such a strap, however the open ring and its associated closure-member are preferably of metal.

It is also to be noted that the strap according to the present invention is not restricted to receive a watch of a specific shape, and that the watch used can be of any type and comprise any ornamental member or design, in particular as regards its dial.

Again, the cross-section of the wrist-watch strap according to the invention can be selected with a view to produce any desired ornamental effect; however, said cross-section will preferably be of circular or slightly oblong shape in order to correspond to the shape of the users wrist, the hinge of the closure-member being so located as to intersect the main axis of the oblong cross-section.

The invention will be better understood from the following description disclosing two embodiments of the wrist-watch strap, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

F IG. 1 is a perspective view of a wrist-watch strap according to the invention, in its open position;

FIG. 2 shows the same strap in its closed position;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of the strap of FIGS. 1 and 2, and

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the strap according to the invention, according to which the watch is mounted on the strap closure-member.

The wrist-watch strap according to the first embodiment, such as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, comprises a cylindrical ring 1, preferably slightly ovoidal or elliptic as shown in FIG. 3, which is a cross-section. The ring 1, is provided with an open portion 2, the two edges of which are generatrices of the ring.

Ring ll-bears a watch 3 attached to its outer face and located substantially on the smaller axis of the elliptic cross-section. Ring 1 is complemented by a closuremember 4 hinged at 5 about that edge of the ring which is opposite the edge in the vicinity of which watch 3 is mounted, so that such closure-member 4 can overlap the portion of the ring which bears watch 3.

To this end, closure-member 4 is provided with an opening 6 having a profile mating the shape of the watch, so that the latter perfectly fits into said opening 6 when closure-member 4 is caused to overlap ring 1, watch 3 then looking said closure-member by a mere frictional action.

Optionally, the closing of ring 1 is complemented by a locking safety device intended to prevent any unexpected unlocking of closure-member 4, said device consisting, for instance, of a pin 7 protruding from the inside face of said closure-member in the vicinity of the free end thereof, and cooperating with a pin-hole 8 located on the outer face of ring 1 in register with pin 7.

Closure-member 4 terminates in an outwardly bent portion 9 acting as a gripping member permitting to initiate the movement of closure-member 4 about hinge 5 when ring 1 is caused to open. Indeed, a slight tangent thrust exerted with the thumb, is sufficient to cause closure-member 4 to unlock and, therefore, cause ring 1 to open.

Portion 9 also serves in the manner of a stabilizing device which allows ring 1 to rest on a plane surface without incurring the risk of rolling along said surface, and the watch dial being perfectly visible by the user.

It is also to be noted that ring 1 is provided with a recess 10 adapted to receive the watch winder and permitting to actuate said winder. It will be easily understood that the users wrist can be easily inserted into the strap according to the invention, since open portion 2 constitutes a break of continuity, the width of which substantially corresponds to the diameter of an average wrist.

Once the users wrist has been introduced into ring 1, it is only necessary to fold back closure-member 4 which is finally locked by the watch-case and, contingently, by an additional safety device.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment in which the watch is mounted, not on ring 1, but on closuremember 4; in this case, the watch dial, visible in the figure, is located on the outer face of closure-member 4, whereas the bottom of the watch-case protrudes from the inner face of said closure-member and co-operates with a mating recess 6 provided in ring 1 and adapted to receive said bottom.

In the case of a flat case-bottom, recess 6 may not exist or may be replaced by a cavity obtained in the outer face of ring 1 by stamping.

What is claimed is:

l. A wrist-watch strap formed generally in the shape of a ring when worn on the wrist of a person, comprising two elongated strips of semi-rigid material curved semi-elliptically in their lengthwise directions and being hingedly joined to each other at one of their respective ends to provide a so-called open-member and a closure-member, the space between said one end of the open-member and the free end of the open-member defining an opening for placing the strap on the wrist, a portion of the closure-member being disposed in closely overlapping relationship to a portion of the open-member remote from said one end and an opening provided in said closure-member for viewing the dial of said watch, and releasable locking means to hold the closure-member in said overlapping relationship, the free marginal end portion of said closure-member being outwardly curved to define a stabilizing means, whereby when said strap in closed position is placed with a curved peripheral surface of the open-member in contact with a supporting surface, said stabilizing means also engages with said supporting surface to hold the strap in a condition to pennit viewing of the watch dial.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said releasable locking means comprises a pin secured to one of said hingedly joined members, and a coacting opening provided in the other of said members.

3. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said opening in said closure-member conforms only to the area of the watch dial to be viewed.

4. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said open-member is provided with an opening within which opening said watch is mounted on said open-member.

said open-member. 

1. A wrist-watch strap formed generally in the shape of a ring when worn on the wrist of a person, comprising two elongated strips of semi-rigid material curved semi-elliptically in their lengthwise directions and being hingedly joined to each other at one of their respective ends to provide a so-called open-member and a closure-member, the space between said one end of the openmember and the free end of the open-member defining an opening for placing the strap on the wrist, a portion of the closuremember being disposed in closely overlapping relationship to a portion of the open-member remote from said one end and an opening provided in said closure-member for viewing the dial of said watch, and releasable locking means to hold the closuremember in said overlapping relationship, the free marginal enD portion of said closure-member being outwardly curved to define a stabilizing means, whereby when said strap in closed position is placed with a curved peripheral surface of the open-member in contact with a supporting surface, said stabilizing means also engages with said supporting surface to hold the strap in a condition to permit viewing of the watch dial.
 2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said releasable locking means comprises a pin secured to one of said hingedly joined members, and a coacting opening provided in the other of said members.
 3. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said opening in said closure-member conforms only to the area of the watch dial to be viewed.
 4. The invention according to claim 1, wherein said open-member is provided with an opening within which opening said watch is mounted on said open-member.
 5. The invention according to claim 4, wherein said opening provided in said open-member includes a recessed portion to accommodate a watch stem, the opening provided in said closure-member conforming only to the area of the watch dial to be viewed so as to obscure said watch stem.
 6. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the exterior surface of said open-member is provided with a cavity within which cavity said watch is mounted on said open-member. 